Stories from the Silk Road - Softcover

Cherry Gilchrist

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1841488011 ISBN 13: 9781841488011

Publisher: Barefoot Books Ltd, 2005

Synopsis

The ancient trade route between East and West provides the location and inspiration for this exotic collection of tales. The Spirit of the Silk Road acts as a guide, and with him readers follow the path of the caravans of the silk traders, listening to his tales of goddesses and spirits, dragons and demons. This lavish anthology is sumptuously illustrated with Nilesh Mistry's glowing colours, which perfectly capture the spirit of the tales. Cherry Gilchrist has herself travelled along the Silk Road, and the authority and realism she brings to the stories makes the book a fascinating reference book as well as a beautiful gift for all ages.

About this title

About the Author:

Cherry Gilchrist has written several books for children, including Sun-day Moon-day - How the Week was Made (1998) and A Calendar of Festivals (1999). She has also written several titles for adults, and her special interest is myths and ancient traditions, such as alchemy and astrology. Cherry runs a business which specialises in Russian arts and she visits Russia regularly. She lives in Bath, England. Nilesh Mistry was born in Bombay and moved to London in 1975. He studied Illustration at Harrow School of Art And Central St. Martin's School of Art. Nilesh has illustrated the popular The Story of Divaali for Barefoot Books and lives in London

From Library Journal:

Grade 2-4-Gilchrist has clearly done substantial research for this collection of folktales from countries along the ancient trade route. She has uncovered so much information to supplement the folklore that she includes an introduction; a character called the "Spirit of the Silk Road," whose two-page spiels preface each individual story; and two pages of facts at the end of the book. The result is a collection of seven tales, somewhat weighted down by the burden of explanatory matter. The stories themselves are unusual enough that libraries with large folklore collections or with a strong interest in Asia may want to purchase this title. A few of the selections are reminiscent of European or American variants. "Clever Ashik" is similar to the riddle-solving "Clever Gretchen" and the wish-granting "Magic Saddlebag" is like Jack's magic tablecloth in "Jack and the Northwest Wind." Other tales are more culture specific, such as "Monkey and the River Dragon" from China or "A Rainbow in Silk" from Uzbekistan. Gilchrist's writing is bland, showing little variation as she moves from people to people. Mistry's gouache paintings illuminate the costumes, architecture, and terrain along the way. An additional purchase.
Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Barefoot Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1841488011
• ISBN 13: 9781841488011
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: Nilesh Mistry